Alfred Pennyworth has been a mainstay of the Batman franchise for decades now and though various elements of the property have changed through time, he’s managed to stay mostly the same.
After all, almost everyone can picture the faithful English butler, with the character being memorably brought to life in live-action via Michael Gough’s four movie stint in the 90s, Jeremy Irons’ take in the DCEU and, probably the best out of them all, Michael Caine’s version in The Dark Knight Trilogy. But at the moment, there’s an interesting discussion online with fans calling for a female Alfred in The Batman. A Freda Pennyworth, if you will.
The idea first came about when comic book writer and artist Bryan Hitch asked his followers who should star as Alfred alongside Robert Pattinson’s Batman? Punisher creator Gerry Conway replied, “Hear me out. Maggie Smith,” and with his Tweet gaining almost 20,000 likes, it’s clear that more than just a few people support that choice.
Hear me out.
Maggie Smith. https://t.co/8ToF8FxCVP
— Gerry Conway (@gerryconway) June 7, 2019
While you could certainly find a good portion of the internet who may be appalled by such casting, it’s certainly an interesting prospect. Historically, Alfred’s been an emotional surrogate for Bruce’s father, Thomas, and it would be fascinating to shift that focus to Martha. You could even keep things simple and just call her Pennyworth.
That being said, all of this is probably just a pipe-dream, but either way, it’s intriguing to ponder and as soon as we get any concrete updates on who’ll be aiding Robert Pattinson in The Batman – be it a male or female Alfred – we’ll be sure to let you know.
In the meantime, though, tell us, who would you like to see in the role? As always, sound off down below with your thoughts.
